Steele County would be able to lease, sell or transfer a county nursing home to a nonprofit corporation, under a bill approved by the House Health Care and Human Services Finance Division April 22.
HF4014, sponsored by Rep. Patti Fritz (DFL-Faribault), now goes to the House Finance Committee.
County Commissioner Tom Shea said the county is one of seven in the state that still owns and operates a nursing home. Given the current funding for nursing homes, they don’t have a sustainable facility, he said. They are trying to develop a model for long-term care in the community and are proposing a community nonprofit to own and operate the home. The facility would be connected to a hospital and clinic services.
The bill would allow for a pilot program to license and certify up to 80 beds transferred from the 108-bed facility to a new site. The remaining 28 beds would be eliminated. The change would require local approval by the governing body of Steele County.
A companion bill, SF3715, sponsored by Sen. Dick Day (R-Owatonna), awaits action by the full Senate.
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